Second and third day of the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2016

October 26, 2016

Since I lost my draft of the second day before it could be forwarded from Winsome close to Capo San Vito, I have to re-write that day plus the third at the same time.

The very first opportunity will be in 50 Nm when we hope to pass Pantelleria keeping that island on port side.

When entering the South mouth/entrance to the Street if the Messina we lost again the wind. For a couple of hours we hardly moved. Then we got a littte bit wind which could just make Genoa Light keep Winsome moving at a formidable speed of 1 knot.

Then all of sudden there was a dark cloud followed by some squalls. We tried to change Genoa Light to G1 which was a mistake (mine) in the first place. By the time G1 was half way up the forestay we realized we should have taken G2. It was too late for that so we finished (in the meantime the entire crew was on deck) that change and were preparing another change to G2. Then it started to rain with more wind. At the very last moment we replaced G2 by G3 and changed G1 by G3.

Boj in the meantime tried to position the first reef line but he found that the eye of the reef line was on the other side and the mouse line could not be attached.

Well in short: by the time we had brought all in order sailing by G3 without a reef in the Main, the wind died and we had to change back to G Light.

We continued to move at a speed of less than 1 knot until we came close to the main land of Italy. We had the feeling that most of our competitors in Class6 must have been already close to the Street of Messina, if not had passed it already.

The Street of Messina we passed right behind another Dutch boat, Mantrachet, in the night under spinnaker S1. We did see her already at Kalkara Marina.

A kite ride to Stromboli. We had hoped to see some eruptions but it were only two mini eruptions the organisors of the RMSR had ordered for us.

Then we had a long day North of Sicily. No wind. I will save the reader our frustrations of that day. At one moment we had some hope. The fleet became parked close to Capo di Vito, but before we knew it also Winsome was parked.

At the end if the day we had forecasted 25-30 knots after Capo San Vito. However we found only some 18 knots for a couple jours and then Winsome became like a hobby horse.

We are now 30 Nm from Pantelleria, sailing under G2 at 7,5 knots speed. By now we realize that we are sailing a lost race though we did not give up at any time during the race. We will end in the last quarter of Class6, miracles excluded.

One thing which kept our spirits high is the excellent food prepared and cooked by our super cooks trained in the Sevenstar/RORC Great Britain and Ireland Race 2006 Floris and Joost (Nijhoff).

Mariana why did you not go to Church last Sunday?

ETA Malta will be only Thursday afternoon/night.